Accordion illuminating means



July 25, 1933. E; GALIZI y ACCORDION ILLUMINATING MEANS Filed April 17,1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l um W Eufemia @ai deceec @7 M72@ zggcrcz A TTORNE Y`uly 25, 1933. E, GANZ] 1,919,294

AccoRDoN ILLUMINATING MEANS Filed April 17, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented July 25, 1933 UNITED srarl-:s

PATENT A OFFICE EUGENIO GALIZI, DECEASED, LATE OF BROOKLYN., NEVIM YORK,BY MARIA GALIZI, EXECUTRIX, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR O1? ONE-HALFTO ADRIANO GALIz'r, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

ACCORDION ILLUMINATING MEANS .Application filed April 17,

T his invention relates to accordions and it pertains in particular tomeans illuminating an accordion.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide v,an illumination ofthe key board, illuminating means for that purpose being`self-'containedly incorporated in the accordion. v,

Another object of this invention is to provide means for distributingthe light of said illuminating means over the whole length of theaccordion, parts of the accordion serving as reiectors.

Another object ofthis invention is to arrange illuminating means on anaccordion in such a manner that they enhance the effect of decorativeparts of the accordion.

Another object of this invention is to provide on an'accordionilluminating means, the

operation of which is a function of the operations of the pitch slidemechanism.

Another object of this invention is to provide signal means on anaccordion which visually call the attention of the audience to a lchangeof the pitch slide.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for illuminating anaccordion which allow the operator to observe the oper- `ation ofthekeys.

The reed-board of an accordion isy ordinarily protected by an open worlcover which serves'me'chanically to protect the reed board and thelevers operating the same but which lpermits the sound to rtravel freelyfrom the 'reed board in an upward direction.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for the observationand means ac- 'f'vide illuminating means upon an accordion centuatingthe observation of the pallet actu- 40 vvating arms through the reedboard cover.

1931. Serial No. 530,907.

in such manner that the light is reflected by the pallet actuating arms,actuation of said arms causing iuctuations in the effect of the light ofsaid illuminating means.

These and other objects led to the invention which is described in thefollowing and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 shows a perspective top view of an accordion.

Figure 2 shows a sectional, partly sectioned rear view of the key boardand of the reed board of an accordion.

Figure 3 shows a` cross section of the parts located. above the reedboard of an accordion.

Figure 4 shows a sectional end View of the key board and reed board, thelatter one being partly cut open.

Figure 5 illustrates the manner in which the pitch slide mechanismactuates the illuminating means of this invention.

Figure 6 shows a. diagram of the electric circuit of the illuminatingmeans.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various views.

In front of the lrey board 11 of the accordion a. ledge 12 extends alongthe whole range of said key board. 'if he pit-ch slide actuating lever13 is counter-sunk into and forms part of said front ledge and it issubstantially in level with said front ledge when in its normal positionof rest. A trimming 111 runs around the top side of the lrey board andof the reed,

board. 15. said trimming concealing the upper edges of the ledge of thepitch slide actuating lever 13 and the hinge 16 by which said lever isfulcrumed on said ledge. The pitch slide actuating lever 13 is hingedonto the ledge 12 in a. recessed part of said ledge, below the trimming14 by the piano hinge 16. lhereas the pitch slide actuating lever 13substantially registersv with the ledge 12 at the front thereof and.below the trimming 14, on the top thereof, the rear 17 of the pitchslide actua-ting lever 13 extends for a short distance above the rear ofthe ledge 12 and a flange 18 rectangularly extends from the pitch slideactuating lcver 13 over the back of the key board. Below said flange 1Sa connecting rod 19 is fulcrumed in hinge 2O onto the pitch slideactuating lever and the free end of said rod is hinged at 21 onto thepitch slide actuating key 22 which is mounted below the cover 23 andwhich is adapted slidably to reciprocate in a suitable recess of said.cover 23.

The free ends 24 of the escape levers 25v tensionally rest against thekey 22. The lower ends of said escape levers 25 are hinged" upon atoggle lever 2.61which. is fulcrumed' at. 27 upon the back of the keyboard; between the forked ends 28 of togglelever 26 extends a lug 29 ofthe pitch slide or of a slide which is operatively connected with thepitch slide, and which is adapted laterally to reciprocate.

The piano hinge 16, in the manner of spring hinges, includes tensionmeans which normally press the pitch slide actuating lever 13 rontwardlyinto alignment withtlie'ledge 12. A stop 54 is provided onsliding key 22which prevents the pitch slideactuating lever 13 from swingingfrontwardv beyond the level..

of the front of the ledge 12.

The force of the tension means which tendV to.- open the hinge 16 issuch. that the presthe accordion normally rests upon the ledge whileplaying the instrument, does not push the lever out ofV alignment withthe ledge 12. But conscious application. of'prcssure by the palm orotherwise will swing the back. of the lever y16 into the correspondingrecess inthe ledge.

Each time the operator actuates the pitch slide actuating lever. 13 bypressing down the lower part thereof'int'o a recess in the ledge 1.2,the slide key 22 engages upon! one or the otherof the escape levers 25,thus alternatingly swinging the toggle lever 26 in clockwisev orcounter-clockwise direction, the forked ends 28 of said toggle leverreciprocating between The toggle lever 26, as it is shown swung to theleftiin clockwise direction,.holds the pitch slide laterally. inaposit-ion in. which the pitch valves are openr so that the octaves orharmonics controlled thereby are in an operable position. If theoperator now depresses the pitch slide actuating lever 13, the togglelever is swung in counterclockwise'direction to a position tothe rightand the pitch valves are closed by the pitch slide. Another operationofthe lever 13 will return the pitch.

slide to a position at which the pitch valves are open. y

Upon the rear wall 30 of the reedboard 15 is raisedly mounted a spring3l which comes into electrical contact with toggle lever 26 when said.toggle lever is swung to the right, said. contact being interrupted whenthe tog.- gle lever is swung to the left. The spring 31 is connected byan electric conductor 32;'to a clamp 33, by means of which the shellV34vof the electric battery is mounted upon the-wall.

30 ofthe reed board. Said battery is arranged in the reed box 35, so asto clear all reeds 36; insulating means 37, made of felt or otherprotecting material, are mounted next to the reeds upon the respectivevalves, to prevent injury to the reeds by the battery. 'll he batteryshell 34 contains one or more dry cell sections which are retained inthe shell 34 by the pressure of a spring 38; that coiled spring arisesfrom the bottom of the plug` 39, which is removably retained in one otthe side Walls of the reed boxes in a threaded opening 40. The dry cellsmay bc removed from the battery shell 34 as soon as the plug 39 isremoved, the threaded opening 40 being in alignment with the batteryshell 34. @ne pole of the battery connects to the conductor 32 by meansof the clamp 33 which holds the shell. 34. The other terminal of the drycells is pressedby the'tension. of spring 38 against contacter 41 whicharises from the back wall of the reed board and which connects to theelectric con ductor 42.

The cover 23 is connected by a conductor 43 to a toggle switch 44 andsaid switch is connected' by the conductor 45, which together withconductor 42 extends throughY an opening 46 in the back wall of the reedboard', to the electric light socket 47. The socket is supported abovethe reed` board 15 and below theI cover 48 by means of a bent-wirebracket 49. The electric light socket 4T' holds an electric bulb 50which is adapted to be lit by the current of the dry cells. Said bulb islocated below an opening 51 in the cover 48 and a lens 52 is raisedlymounted in the opening 51; said. lens serves to distribute the lightradiated by bulb 50v above the cover 48. The electric light socket ismounted above the reed; beard substantially in level with the palletactuating arms 53 whichextend from the keys of the key board to thevalves. The pallet actuatingarms'are ordinarily made of aluminum tubingor other shining metal so that the-.light of the bulb 50 which radiatestowards both sides below the cover 48,` is reflected by the brightmetalV of the pallet actuating arms 53. and is reflected. through theopenings,- open work, metallic decorations, or protective and supportinggauze of the cover 48. When the pallet actuating arms 53 are actuated bythe keys of the key board. a change inthe effect of the light of thebulb 50, as reflected by said pallet actuating arms is brought about,`which draws the attention. of the audience to said pallet actuating armsand the respective keys so that the playing of the accordion may befollowed by observation of the light reflected through the cover 48.

At the samel time thel :light of bulb 50= is reflected through the openparts of the cover 48 directly, thus increasing the pleasing effect ofthe arrangement andv ofthe design ofv the cover.

`n'iust permit free passage of the sound; at the same time the covermust protect the acoustic mechanism against foreign matter. Hence thecover 48 is composed of a perforated top plate 55 and a screen 56 inback thereof. The strands of the mesh of the screen 56 additionallyintercept and to reflect the light radiatingl from bulb 50, whereby thequantity of light reflected through the cover is effectively increased.This aids the effect obtained from the arrangement of the bulb at thelevel chosen, since it is important to use the light most effectively,because, on account of the limited space in the accordion, a moderatelysized current source is used.

Corresponding to the manner in which one light is arranged upontheaccordion as illustrated in the drawings, two or more lights may becorrespondingly distributed below the cover 48 and a variety of lighteffects may thus be produced.

These liht effects are set into operation or shut off by the operationof the pitch slide actuating lever 13. As described and shown in thedrawings, the pitch. slide lever will turn on the light of bulb 50, whenthe pitch slide valvesv are closed and there is no light when the pitchslide valves are open. The main switch la allows the light to be shutofi' by separate cont-rol, so that the light of the bulb 50 may be shutoff, even when the pitch slide is in a position of closing the pitchvalves. c

Although one form of the embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail, yet this patent is net t` be limited thereby,except as the state of the art and the appended claims may require, forit is obvious that various modifications and changes may be made in theform of embodiment of this invention, without departing from the spiritand scope thereof.

This inventionis claimed, as follows:

l. In an accordion, pallet actuating means arranged upon a reed board, atransparent reed board cover, and an electric circuit includingilluminating means arranged below said transparent reed board cover andabove said pallet actuating means.

2. In an accordion, pallet actuating means arranged upon a reed board, atransparent reed board cover, and an electric circuit includingilluminating means arranged cen-y trally below said transparent reedboard cover and above said pallet actuating means.

3. In an accordion, pallet actuating means arranged upon a reed board, atransparent reed' board cover, and an electric circuit includingilluminating means arranged below said transparent reed board cover andabove said pallet actuating means, and diffusing means projecting abovesaid cover and registering with said illuminating means.

e. In combination with an accordion, a key board, a reed board coverconfronting said key board at an obtuse angle, means illuminating saidreed board cover, and means diffusing said illuminating means throughsaid reed board cover onto said key board.

5. In combination with an accordion, a key board, a reed board coverconfronting said key board at an obtuse angle, a source of electriccurrent, lighting means operated by said source of current andilluminating said reed board cover, and means diffusing saidilluminating means through said reed board cover onto said key board.

MARIA GALIZI, Eafecatrife of 7e/e last will and testament 0f Eugen/0Galiza', deceased.

